Maitland Kids Write For Their Blind Peers

Education

The Books Are A Hit With Visually Impaired Preschoolers - And A Bright Example Of Community Involvement.

October 6, 1991|By Ron Patrizio, Of The Sentinel Staff

MAITLAND — The books are made of cardboard, there's dried glue on every page and some of the characters look a little fuzzy.

But to young blind children, the books at the Maitland Public Library are a hit. And what's more, three volumes were created by children their own age.

''They're so popular that we can't keep them around,'' said Dusty Gres, the library director. ''Kids are automatically drawn to them.''

Gres said the books are a result of inquiries made by several parents who were concerned about the lack of materials for blind preschoolers.

A search was then mounted to find not only books in Braille, but publications printed in three-dimensional letters so that blind children could feel the words.

Gres quickly discovered a dearth of materials for the blind. Library officials purchased the few books available, but the collection was still wanting, she said.

Gres then turned to the Maitland Lions Club for help.

The club immediately agreed to pay for the project and pledged $200 to purchase materials needed to write and publish several books.

''Sight programs are the main venture of Lionism and this project seemed to be a natural offshoot of that,'' said Paul Lilling, a member of the Maitland Lions Club. ''It was an ideal activity for us to get involved in.''

Last summer, a group of 15 children from the Jewish Community Center was enlisted to help create the books.

The library club, which consisted of kindergartners and first-graders, met once a week for one hour. Under the guidance of Gres and librarian Joan Mansson the children began putting together ideas that would eventually lead to three books.

''We wanted to teach the children about the work that goes into writing a book as well as make the program enjoyable,'' Gres said.

The result was three books: The ABC Book, The Book of Shapes and The Counting Book. The title page lists the children's names as co-authors and recognizes the Maitland Lions Club as the sponsor.

Each book has raised lettering and bright colors. To an adult who looks at the book a cat could resemble a small elephant. People take on the shape of stars and a dog can look more like a rabbit.

''But kids automatically know what each photo represents,'' Gres said. ''Even if the picture is not so esoteric.''

Lilling and Gres agreed that they are ready to continue to support the program.

''We now know that this type of learning can be of significant benefit and can be adapted to help thousands of children worldwide who are visually and learning impaired,'' he said.